(Carson City, NV; April 10, 2012) — Secretary of State Ross Miller’s battle against business identity theft is getting additional support through the launch of the first national website dedicated to the problem. The site, www.BusinessIDTheft.org, provides expert information on the many ways that business identity theft can occur; risk management and prevention information; victim assistance; comprehensive local resources for each U.S. state and territory; fraud prevention tips; and the latest tools for credit protection.

The Identity Theft Protection Association (ITPA) created the website with input from the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), which convened a national business identity theft task force in response to growing numbers of reported business identity theft crimes.

“Secretaries of State from around the nation pooled our knowledge in an effort to prevent business owners from becoming victims of identity thieves,” said Secretary Miller, business identity theft task force member and president-elect of NASS. “BusinessIDTheft.org is a valuable resource for businesses that want to know how to protect themselves, where to go if they suspect a problem, and their options. Education still remains the best method of preventing staggering losses and damages from business identity theft.”

Secretary Miller launched the Nevada Corporate Ownership Fraud Task Force in September 2011 to investigate registered Nevada business entities suspected of being involved in illegal activities including tax evasion, money laundering, securities violations, and the marketing of shell or shelf companies for fraudulent and/or deceptive purposes. The task force includes a former criminal prosecutor from the Secretary of State's office; a special agent from the Internal Revenue Service; and the chief deputy attorney general of the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Justice Fraud Division. Members share information related to these types of offenses and jointly investigate when appropriate, and also use shared resources and information to target possible criminal activity.

NASS has been working with an array of industry stakeholders to raise awareness about business identity theft. The NASS business identity theft task force produced a white paper in January that details policy guidelines and recommendations for state leaders dealing with identity fraud cases involving public business records.